Howdy Phil,  My first qso was using an A T 1, Heath Kit.  My first Q S L was a pink slip from the F C C in July 1959 I think.  I bought the rig and thought I would practice my sending so I hooked a antenna off a world War 2 tank and layed it on the work bench in my basement.  I sent a few c qs and some practice junk and about two or three days later here came a pink note from big Daddy telling me I had a second harmonic out of the ham bands and what was I going to do to fix the problem.  Well I just about crapped because I didn’t know how to fix the problem so I forgot what I told them but it must have been good , end of first contact.  73  
ED K7UC